Optimization is considered as a decision-making process for getting the most out of available resources for the best attainable results. Many real-world problems are multi-objective or multi-attribute problems that naturally involve several competing objectives that need to be optimized simultaneously, while respecting some constraints or involving selection among feasible discrete alternatives…
This textbook is an introduction to the newer features of growth theory that are particularly useful in examining the issues of economic development. Growth theory provides a rich and versatile analytical framework through which fundamental questions about economic development can be examined. Structural transformation, in which developing countries transition from traditional production in lar…
This book describes some recent trends in GCM research on different subject areas, both theoretical and applied. This includes tools and possibilities for further work through new techniques and modification of existing ones. A growth curve is an empirical model of the evolution of a quantity over time. Growth curves in longitudinal studies are used in disciplines including biology, statistics,…
This book examines the nature of retail financial transaction infrastructures. Contributions assume a long-term outlook in their exploration of the key financial processes and systems that support a global transition to a cashless economy. The volume offers both modern and historic accounts that demonstrate the constantly changing role of payment instruments. It brings together different theore…
A topic of utmost importance in civil engineering is finding optimal solutions throughout the life cycle of buildings and infrastructural objects, including their design, manufacturing, use, and maintenance. Operational research, management science, and optimization methods provide a consistent and applicable groundwork for engineering decision-making. These topics have received the interest of…
In this Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology on “High Density Lipoproteins – from biological understanding to clinical exploitation” contributing authors (members of COST Action BM0904/HDLnet) summarize in more than 20 chapters our current knowledge on the structure, function, metabolism and regulation of HDL in health and several diseases as well as the status of past and ongoing attemp…
Adenosine A2A receptor antagonists have shown great promise in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease and alleviation of symptoms. This book addresses various aspects of this class of drugs from their chemical development to their clinical use. Among the many insightful chapters contained in this book, there are three unique reviews that have not previously been published in any format: (1) a his…
This book covers graphene reinforced polymers, which are useful in electronic applications, including electrically conductive thermoplastics composites, thermosets and elastomers. It systematically introduces the reader to fundamental aspects and leads over to actual applications, such as sensor fabrication, electromagnetic interference shielding, optoelectronics, superconductivity, or memory c…
In contrast to hierarchical leadership within intra-organizational contexts, leaders of inter-organizational networks have to lead across organizational boundaries without hierarchical fiat or directive authority. The central research question of Susanne Ruckdäschel is how leadership behavior of network managers can influence network performance. Hereby, relational leadership in the form of em…
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Engineering Multi-Agent Systems, EMAS 2015, held in Istanbul, Turkey, in May 2015. The 10 full papers, presented with two invited talks, were carefully reviewed and selected from 19 submissions. The focus of the papers is on the topics such as: programming frameworks, languages, models and abstractions for M…